The 71-year-old DFL congressman is in his fifth term in the House.

A week after GOP Congresswoman Michele Bachmann announced she won’t seek a fifth term, former Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer announced he will seek the party’s endorsement to run as her successor.

Graves’ campaign manager, Aaron Wells, confirmed his plans to the St. Cloud Times Thursday morning. Graves, a hotel executive from St. Cloud, nearly beat Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann last fall for the seat , which covers the northern Twin Cities suburbs and St. Cloud. Graves lost by less than 5,000 votes on Nov. 6, the closest any Democrat has come to toppling Bachmann.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has upgraded Minnesota's 6th Congressional District race, adding Democratic candidate Jim Graves to its competitive "Red-to-Blue" list of targeted contests.

Hotelier Jim Graves joins two other candidates -- attorney Anne Nolan and businessman Brian McGoldrick -- hoping to knock off Bachmann. Delegates in the district will gather this weekend to endorse a candidate in the race. Graves has not said whether he will abide by the endorsement.

The news comes days after Bachmann's first public appearance in Minnesota at a pro-life rally marking the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

The long-awaited GOP map reshaping the state's Congressional districts was released Monday, and shows Republicans trying to protect newest House GOP star Chip Cravaack while isolating other DFL strongholds.

DFL state Sen. Tarryl Clark has raised $1.8 million since July in her bid to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota's Sixth District.

A new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll shows incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann with a nine-point lead over her Democratic challenger, state. Sen. Tarryl Clark.

State Sen. Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud, released her second congressional campaign ad this week on the heels of critical spot released by GOP incumbent Michele Bachmann.